Banjo head tightener



y 1949- E. J. HANDLOSER I 2,469,643

BANJO HEAD TIGHTENER Filed Dec. 2,1946

INVENTOR.

Edward J.HELN ljhnsar war 16 ATTORNEYS,

Patented May 10, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BANJO HEAD TIGHTENEREdward J. Handloser, Chesapeake, Ohio Application December 2, 1946,Serial No. 713,588

2 Claims. 1

This present invention relates to improvements in the means forstraining the vellum or parchment of a banjo to drum head tension.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an elastic hook forstraining the vellum to make the adjustment of the hook easier. The hookhas a bend or bends which somewhat straighten out when a pull is exertedon the hook.

With this end other objects in view which will become apparent as theinvention is fully understood, the same resides in the novelty ofconstruction, combination and arrangement of elements specificallyhereinafter described and claimed in the subjoined claims.

The description refers to the accompanying drawings forming part of theapplication and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a banjo drum head equipped with vellumstraining hooks embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged elevation of a modified form of my hookand the portion of the banjo carrying same;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged elevation of the preferred form of myhook and the banjo portion carrying it;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 44 of Fig. 3 through a banjo portion and aView of a hook carried thereby.

In the drawing in which like characters of references designate like orsimilar parts throughout the several views, numeral 5 denotes thegenerally cylindrical side wall of a banjo drum head which wallterminates at its upper end in a bevel 1 extending inwardly andproviding an angular edge. The vellum or parchment 9 is drawn over thisedge and extends along the outer side of the wall downwardly andterminates in a rolled portion ll surrounding and reinforced by acircular rod or hoop l3 which extends around the wall 5.

In order to strain the vellum to drum head tension a clamping ring I5 isprovided which bears with its lower edge against the terminal edge ofthe vellum disposed along an intermediate portion thereof and above thehoop. The upper edge I! of the clamping ring is inwardly beveled andengaged by the terminal portion IQ of a plurality of hooks generallydenoted by 2| and including a shank having one (Fig. 2) or severalrelatively sharp bends 23 (Fig. 3) and of resilient material.

Th lower end 25 of the shank is threaded and engages with a hexagonalnut 21 and is disposed in a hole formed in the usually horizontal leg ofan angular bracket 29 the other leg of which is secured to the outerface of the banjo wall 5.

The upper end of the nut bears against the lower side of the horizontalbracket leg and when the nut is turned in one direction, pulls the hookshank and clamping ring and hoop down with the result that the vellum istensioned with drum head tension. Simultaneously the resilient legs ofthe bent part of the shank are placed under stress. The straight rigidshank of the prior art tensioning hooks are very diflicult to adjust.Tightening usually loosens the adjoining one.

While the foregoing description describes and the drawing shows thespecific details of the embodiment of my invention, I desire it to beunderstood that such embodiment is to be regarded only as an example,not as a limitation of my invention, the scope of which is defined bythe appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described including a vellum, a wallhaving an outwardly beveled edge engaging an intermediate portion ofsaid vellum, and a ring surrounding the wall and resting against theterminal edge of said vellum and extending above said beveled wall edgeand vellum; hook means engaging across the free edge of said ring andeach including a substantially rigid part of a length equal to the widthof the ring portion extending above the beveled wall edge and alsoincluding a resilient part reversely bent in a single planesubstantially tangentially to the wall, and bracket means secured tosaid wall for holding said hook means.

2. In a device of the character described including a vellum, a wallhaving an outwardly beveled edge engaging an intermediate portion ofsaid vellum, and a ring surrounding the wall and engaging the terminaledge of said vellum and extending above said beveled wall edge andvellum; hook means for engaging across the free edge of said ring andeach including a substantially rigid part of a length equal to the widthof the ring portion extending above the beveled wall edge and alsoincluding a. resilient part reversely bent in a single planesubstantially tangentially to the wall, and an angular bracket securedto said wall and including a leg flexingly holding the free end of saidresilient hook part.

EDWARD J. HANDLOSER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 316,508 Washburn Apr. 28, 1885434,535 Veitch Aug. 19, 1890 448,674 Robinson Mar. 24, 1891 966,477 SappAug. 9, 1910 1,724,629 Williamson Aug. 13, 1929

